Reset for 2020

TRAINING has been pretty hit and miss lately. A minor back complaint interrupted deadlifts during my last pulling session and caused me to postpone squats a couple of sessions before that. But things were feeling better Saturday. The three sets of seven of 150 kilos is not a personal record for total reps at that weight, but it is with an axle. I felt like I made a valuable change to the bar position and employed a new method to assist with my mental state. Now I’m looking forward to going heavier with this tweaked setup.
Some previous personal bests (with a squat bar) include 210 kilos for three sets of four in July 2016, and 250 for a single in August of the same year, matching my previous best squat at the CAPO state championships in 2015. The axle is more rigid and has no knurling, making it a little more difficult to handle. Then again, it’s been so long since I used a powerlifting squat bar, I might find it’s now the more difficult of the two.

My right bicep is still significantly weaker than my left so I’m adding a few more sets of curls to my weekly template. And I’m starting to enjoy having incline bench as the focus of my press routine. As I’m not specifically training for either strongman or powerlifting currently, I figured I’d make what always gets used as an accessory into a primary press movement.

SQUAT+ Saturday December 7th
Axle squats:
20 kg x 10
60 kg x 5
100 kg x 3
130 kg x 3
150 kg x 3 x 7 PR
Hamstring curls (p/l):
17.5 kg x 15
15 kg x 15
12.5 kg x 15
Standing calf raises w/finger hold plates:
25s x 18
20s x 10 - ineffective due to grip failure
(more) Preacher curls:
(bar = 9 kg)
19 kg x 10
24 kg x 10
29 kg x 10
34 kg x 10 TPR
DB side raises (p/h):
12.5 kg x 4 x 10 PR
Cardio:
assault bike 5 mins @ +50 rpm

PRESS+ Thursday December 5th
Chest press machine flat (p/h):
20 kg x 10
25 kg x 10
30 kg x 10
Incline barbell press:
bar x 10
50 kg x 5
80 kg x 4 x 6
Axle OHP (strict):
25 kg x 3
55 kg x 3
70 kg x 2
80 kg x ME 7
Preacher curls:
(bar = 9 kg)
19 kg x 10
24 kg x 10
29 kg x 10
Triceps pushdowns:
90 kg close grip x 10
90 kg wide grip x 10
63 kg rope x 10
63 kg close grip x 10
63 kg wide grip x 10
45 kg rope x 10
DB curls (p/h):
12.5 kg x 10
15 kg x 2 x 10
DB front raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10

PRESS+ Saturday November 30th
Chest press machine flat (p/h):
20 kg x 10
25 kg x 10
30 kg x 10
Incline barbell press:
bar x 10
50 kg x 5
75 kg x 4 x 7
Axle OHP (strict):
25 kg x 5
55 kg x 3
75 kg x ME 6
Triceps pushdowns:
90 kg close grip x 10
90 kg wide grip x 10
63 kg rope x 8
63 kg close grip x 10
63 kg wide grip x 10
45 kg rope x 10
Preacher curls:
(bar = 9 kg)
19 kg x 10
24 kg x 10
29 kg x 10
DB curls (p/h):
15 kg x 10
12.5 kg x 10
10 kg x 10
DB front raises (p/h):
10 kg x 4 x 10
Cardio:
assault bike 5 mins @ +55 rpm

PULL+ Thursday November 28th
Deadlifts:
75 kg x 10
125 kg x 5
175 kg x 3 - lower back issue
DB meadows rows (l&r): *new variation
50 kg x 8
60 kg x 8
Bent-over DB rows (l&r):
40 kg x 3 x 8
Seated rows (both hands):
105 kg x 5
82.5 kg x 5
67.5 kg x 5
45 kg x 10
Lateral pulldowns:
60 kg x 3 x 10
Face-pulls:
58.5 kg x 20, 15 - misload & accidental PR
Cardio:
assault bike 5 mins @ +50 rpm